1. Kindergarten Readiness
Helping Parents and Students Through the Transition Process

2. AGENDA
Understand the behavioral and academic expectations of a Kindergarten classroom
Possess ideas for activities to promote Kindergarten Readiness in children
Understand the various parts of the Kindergarten transition process

3. The Kindergarten Teachers

4. A TYPICAL DAY IN THE CLASSROOM
All Kindergarten classes meet 7 hours per day
The typical classroom size ranges from children with one teacher
Students have a 30 minute lunch in the cafeteria and go to recess for 30 minutes with their grade level peers.
ENCORE (55 minutes) –PE, Art, Music, Science; classes vary campus to campus
Students go to the library and computer lab weekly and have integrated technology in the classroom (iPad)
45 minutes math
90 minutes English language arts which includes reading workshop and writer’s workshop as a  daily program
Subject areas science, social studies integrated throughout the entire day

5. BEHAVORIAL EXPECTATIONS
Students should:
transition from activity to activity independently with a few verbal prompts
sit in whole group instruction on the floor
be able to independently take care of personal needs (bathroom, blow their nose, etc.)
monitor their own behavior
manage classroom materials appropriately
follow routines and rules
work independently

6. ENCOURAGE INDEPENDENCE
Skills your child should practice:
buckling and unbuckling seat belt/car seat
using the toilet without adult assistance
putting on and removing his/her own outer clothing
practice eating in a 30 minute time frame and staying seated while eating
opening food containers, cartons, and straws
putting away materials
following directions
focusing on an activity
enduring a full day of kindergarten (no nap)
consistent bed time every night
working socially with peers and teachers
emotionally functioning in a full day classroom
tying his/her shoes

7. Social-Emotional Expectations
Student should:
show an eagerness to learn new things
be willing to try new things
be able to show empathy for others
be able to work with others in order to solve problems

8. Encourage social skills
Provide opportunities for your child to socialize with other children….
Story time at the local library
Parks
Playgroups
Expose children to new activities

9. Literacy Expectations
Students should be able to:
identify some uppercase and lowercase letters
name the correct sound to some letters
write some letters
recognize and produce rhyming words
recognize their name and write their name, using a capital letter and lowercase

10. How can you help? Read to your child and discuss the story
Talk about books
Sing rhyming songs
Play with magnetic letters
Practice matching letters with their sounds
Read signs in the environment

11. Prepare for written language
Provide fine motor experiences through….
playing with Play-Doh
practicing cutting with child’s scissors
using glue bottles and glue sticks
coloring or writing with a variety of tools such as pencils, markers, and crayons
encouraging your child to draw pictures and tell you about them
writing the letters of the alphabet
working with your child to recognize and name the basic shapes
working with your child to recognize and name the basic 8 colors

12. Math expectations Students should be able to:
identify positions of an object (first through fifth)
understand position words such as over, on, under, etc.
sequence events
count to 10
recognize number

13. Provide math experiences
Engage your child in:
counting (e.g., cookies at snack, stairs climbed, number of pennies, etc.)
setting the table to practice one-to-one correspondence
sorting laundry by color or size
helping prepare a simple meal
using quantitative words (e.g., empty/full, more/less, one or one more)

14. Things you need to know
Student who will be 5 years old on or before September 1 are eligible to go to kindergarten in the fall.
Check the district website for more information regarding online registration, health information and more.

15. Thank you for joining us this evening!
We look forward to seeing you in August. You can find this presentation by accessing the Johnson Elementary School website through (Click on the Kindergarten link.)